Jancis Robinson

An Esoteric Ramble through the World of Wine: There are many types of wine books on the market today. Some are the Dummy and KISS type - with little graphics and simple statements to start you from your first baby steps. Other are rich tomes with a wealth of information, like the Oxford Companion to Wine, which Jancis edits. These have just about every term and region you could hope to learn about.This companion to Jancis' TV series is neither of the above, and it is much more. It is Jancis show more speaking to you, from her richly educated base of knowledge, to help you learn what makes wine so interesting. Think of Jancis as your incredibly experienced aunt, who has just come back from some exotic trip. She and you have sat down in the living room by a fire, are sipping some wine, and she is preparing to regale you with stories, and tidbits, and insights, and fascinating worlds you didn't even imagine. That's what the book is like. It starts with the basics - how to taste, how to serve, how to decant, wine and food. Even in these areas you get the sense that Jancis is chatting with you about something she loves. She admits to decanting full whites not because they need it, but because she loves the glowing color. She goes into the gritty details of how wines are made, what a free-run-wine is, how sparkling and sweet wines are created. And then, she begins in on the regional reviews. France, of course, is first. It always seems to come first. Beautiful pictures of the Chateau Latour tower and Loire valley gables. You move on through Italy, Spain, and yes, the US and Australia get a mention in here too. The reviews are all written from her heart - you see clearly what she likes and doesn't like, and you learn why. A great way to learn more about wine - especially if you're also able to watch the TV Series! show less

I got this book right after attending a casual wine tasting party and people were tasting tobacco, oak, leather, and fruits. I was so confused and self-conscious after just five minutes! A friend of mine recommended me this book because it's fun to read and most of all ENCOURAGING. Wine can be intimidating especially with its stigma of high class. This book was great. It had little activities to do and exactly what to think about during the tasting the trial. Jancis Robinson wrote with humor show more and sometimes acknowledging what wine critiques have become over the years. She's against the trend, funny, and enjoyable to read. I was reading this about her on this form (http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/jancis-robinson-tells-critics-to-not-be-parasites/) and that's definitely the way Jancis Robinson is most like. I recommend this book! The images are also spectacular. show less

Exactly what the title says.. well, I wouldn't say you would be an expert, but you could certainly be able to pick out an appropriate wine, and maybe let down your hair and try a few you wouldn't normally buy.

I like this book's hands-on approach to understanding wine. Much more emphasis on grape varietals than on learning the different chateaus. It's a great guide for wine self-eductation; highly recommended.